Thirty-two Nepali nationals, including three minors, were rescued on Thursday from a house in Udham Singh Nagar district where they had allegedly been held captive for nearly four months after being trafficked into India with false job promises, according to police and the Nepal embassy.
The rescue was the result of a coordinated effort between the Nepal embassy, Uttarakhand Police, and the NGO KIN India. Officials said the victims, mostly from economically vulnerable families in Nepal, were lured by traffickers with the promise of employment and brought to Kashipur by a fellow Nepali citizen, Birendra Shahi, 21. Upon arrival, they were confined, assaulted, and forced to sell daily-use products for a Delhi-based company, with the earnings allegedly being funneled directly to the firm.
US Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police Manikant Mishra told The Times of India that the rescue followed a tip-off from an official of the Nepal embassy. “Acting on the input, police along with the NGO representatives raided the house of Maharaj Singh in Kashipur, where 32 people, including three boys aged around 14–15, were found.”
Three suspects — Shahi, Sachin Kumar (28) of Ghazipur, and Manish Tiwari (29) of Rudrapur — were arrested on Friday and sent to jail after being booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including wrongful confinement, kidnapping, and organized crime.
Naveen Joshi of KIN India confirmed a follow-up operation was underway to rescue around 35 more Nepali nationals believed to be similarly held in Rudrapur. The Nepal embassy, in a post on X, stated that the rescued individuals will be repatriated after legal formalities conclude. The case highlights growing concerns over cross-border human trafficking in the Himalayan region.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by our editors.
Photo by Hasan Almasi on Unsplash
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